Red Roses
by Fading wind
Summary: Ed gives Roy a rose out of the blue. What can it mean? [RoyEd] [endofseries spoilers]


Title: Red Roses  
Genre: Romance/Tragedy  
Pairing: Roy x Ed  
Summary: Ed gives Roy a red rose out of the blue. What could it possibly mean? This fic doesn't take the movie to mind.  
Warnings: Character death(s). Shounen-ai, in this case RoyEd. Don't like, don't read. Slight mentions of sex. You may need some tissues, because there's a huge tearjerker. End-of-series spoilers.  
Note: You might want to listen to Bratja while reading the ending part of the fic. I listened to it while writing.  
Disclaimer: FMA isn't mine! Now, onwards to the fic!

**Red Roses**

"What is this?" Roy Mustang asked, in a somewhat amused tone.

"A rose. Any of numerous shrubs or vines of the genus _Rosa_, having prickly stems, pinnately compound leaves, and variously colored, often fragrant flowers. This particular rose is red, signifying love, beauty, respect, courage and passion. There's also only one rose, which means 'I love you'." This was the definition from the walking dictionary Vato Falman. Surprisingly, he was not interrupted by anyone during his speech, unlike most other times.

"I do know what it is, Falman, but thank you anyway," the Colonel smiled at his subordinate. "Does anyone know who this is from?" His fingers brushed against one soft petal.

"Um... Ed--" Havoc had barely started speaking when Hawkeye cut him off sharply with a stern glare at his direction.

"Colonel, I'm sure you know who the rose is from. And," she added, glancing again at the nervous man chewing on his cigarette, "we were told not to tell you, but I guess the Lieutenant gave it away."

"Ah." Roy's smile widened. "Why did Fullmetal suddenly feel the need to give me a single red rose? The boy never ceases to surprise me."

"That's why you love him," Breda muttered under his breath, and thankfully no one caught him.

Roy picked up the rose, holding the stem carefully between his thumb and forefinger, making sure that the thorns could do him no harm. "Very interesting. When is Fullmetal going to come and hand in his report?"

"At two o'clock in the afternoon, sir," Hawkeye responded immediately.

"Why couldn't he have delivered it to me personally?" Roy wondered out loud.

Havoc looked like he was just about to spill out another secret, but this time Hawkeye managed to stop him. "You know what Edward-kun is like, Colonel." The female subordinate always spoke in riddles, but Roy always understood her.

---

When the blond boy burst into the office fifteen minutes later than the time he was supposed to arrive, his lover smiled up at him expectantly, holding the rose up. "So, Fullmetal, explain this to me."

Edward's cheeks reddened instantly and he did not answer.

"It is not Valentine's Day. Or have I mistaken?" The older alchemist consulted the calendar on his desk. "It is the fourth of March. Is it a special occasion that I do not know of, perhaps? Enlighten me, my dear Fullmetal."

The boy could barely stand the smug look on Roy's face. "I just wanted to give you something. Is there anything wrong with it?" he blurted. "If you don't want the rose, I'll have it back and give it to someone else."

"Someone else?" A black brow arched elegantly. "Do not tell me you have been dating a girl without informing me."

"You know I'd never do that." The boy was angry all of a sudden, his golden eyes burning. Roy panicked slightly. He did not like dealing with Fullmetal when he was like truly angry, and not just playfully pretending. Then the fire died, and Edward's tone was even again. "I thought I might give it to a friend, like Winry."

"You do know what it means, don't you?" the dark-haired man asked.

"Of course. Red roses stand for passion and love. A single red rose means 'I love you'." There was no blush this time. Edward faced Roy, looking deep into the obsidian pupils without embarrassment. Brazenly, in front of all of the Colonel's subordinates, he announced loudly, "And I do. I love you, Roy. I love you very much and I want you to know it." Surprisingly, it was Roy who almost coloured under the boy's intense stare.

The whole of the office were focused incredulously on the Fullmetal Alchemist, even Riza Hawkeye. Sure, they all knew of the relationship between their superior officer and their favourite little alchemist, but neither had ever admitted it in public. And they were pretty certain that if one of the two shall ever confess, it would be Roy Mustang.

Edward Elric proved them wrong.

The blond threw the written report onto his superior officer's desk and left the office hurriedly without another word.

---

Roy was deeply troubled. He couldn't comprehend why Edward had behaved so abnormally. He was just as stunned as the rest of the office. No one knew what had overtaken Edward that day. After that, the blond never mentioned the incident again, so the older man pushed the mystery to the back of his mind and concentrated instead on pleasing himself and his lover.

The red rose?

Roy decided to keep it, even as it gradually shrivelled and lost its beauty. He stored it in a small box at his apartment. The box contained many photos and letters and tiny trinkets, preserving all of his precious memories. The rose would remind him of that particularly precious one in the future when he went through the many items in the box which he called his 'treasure chest'.

After all, you don't get short fifteen-year-old blond boys declaring love for you every day.

---

When he could no longer see that beautiful face with bright golden eyes and long blond hair anymore, Roy Mustang finally understood why Edward had given him the rose at that time and confessed to him in front of Hawkeye, Havoc, Fuery, Breda and Falman.

The boy had foreseen what was going to happen in a few months. He somehow predicted that he would disappear mysteriously very soon, and he wanted Roy to remember that they had once loved each other and been together happily. At those empty nights, he pulled out the treasure chest and sifted through his collection. Hazy photos of his parents, who were long dead, playing with him. Photos of his best friend, Maes laughing with him during those youthful, happy days. His very first love letters from girls, the paper yellowed, the ink faded. A red ribbon which had been used to wrap up the first gift he had got from his first girlfriend. A hair clip belonging to the first girl he had taken to bed, which had got lost in the process, and a few months after they broke up, found under the bed. A necklace, which had been intended for one of his girlfriends, but which he didn't manage to give because the girl ditched him the day after he bought it. That was the first time he had been dumped by a girl.

And there were many other objects in the box, each telling a story of their own, bringing back long-forgotten memories, but Roy's favourite was always the withered red rose.

He couldn't forget those sunny smiles coming from under the golden bangs. Couldn't forget the sounds of his happy, boyish laughter. Couldn't forget the sloppy boy kisses. Couldn't forget each and everything that related to Edward Elric.

He felt so hollow without him, and simply wished that he could have admitted his love for the boy when he had the chance too.

---

When Edward Elric came back to Amestris many years later, his first stop was the Rockbell's. He was amazed to find his brother and Winry married, but he was very glad for them. They were a perfect match for each other. Everyone in Rizenbul agreed.

His stay there would have been very enjoyable if he had not received disastrous news which completely ruined his mood. When he had rested in Rizenbul for more than a month and caught up with all that had happened while he was away, and also got new automail limbs to replace the comparatively useless prostheses he had been working with in the other world, he quickly took a train to Central and visited headquarters.

A Colonel Hawkeye greeted him warmly. "Oh, Edward-kun, you're back at last!"

Also a colonel, Havoc mumbled, "We all thought you were dead." He was still never seen without a cigarette.

"Don't say that, Havoc!" Second Lieutenant Fuery reprimanded.

"Where's Falman and Breda?" Edward inquired. A deathly silence fell. The three looked at one another uneasily. It was Hawkeye who spoke in the end, as usual.

"Well, you do know about the General, right?" she said cautiously.

"You mean Mustang?" the younger blond replied calmly.

Hawkeye nodded slowly. "You know what happened to him?"

"Yes," the blond man said after a while. "Is it true that he's dead?"

The Colonel breathed in sharply. "I'm very sorry, Edward-kun..."

"You don't need to be," he forced a weak smile. "It's not your fault. So, did Falman and Breda die with him?"

Edward was very quick to digest information indeed. "Yes, they did. They died honourably enough, soldiers in action, promoted two ranks each as a reward to their loyal service for the country." Hawkeye smiled bitterly. "Everyone know that promotion means nothing when you're dead."

"Can I go and see him?" the elder Elric queried quietly. "You know, just to say goodbye and stuff."

"Of course," the older blonde said at once. "Havoc can drive you there, can't you, Havoc?"

Said person blinked twice before responding, "Sure, boss." The last word was said out of habit. Edward followed Havoc out of the building and into a car. Havoc started the car. Edward gazed out of the window, his eyes betraying no emotions as the car sped along the main streets of Central.

Then, abruptly, he said, "Can we stop here? I just want to buy something." The car stopped, and Edward got out. He walked into the shop right outside the car. It was a florist's. He paid for one single red rose, thanked the girl gratefully, and climbed back into the car. Havoc restarted the car, and soon they were outside the city cemetery. Havoc led him through the confusing place where so many people were buried. They arrived at the grave they were looking for finally, and Havoc left the younger blond alone obediently.

With those beautiful honey-coloured eyes, Edward looked down at the grave marker. He was told of his lover's death a few days after his return by Winry and Al. Winry had cried. Winry, whose parents had been killed by the very own hands of Roy Mustang, had shed tears over the killer's death. Al had cried too. Al, who couldn't remember a single thing about Roy Mustang, had wept over a stranger's death.

So it was expected that Edward Elric, who had been the closest person to Roy since Maes Hughes, should mourn night after night. But it was only now, as he read the two familiar words engraved onto the cold, grey stone, that reality hit him. Roy was really dead. Dead, like Trisha Elric, his kind, caring mother. Dead, like Nina Tucker, the cute little girl he had played with in the snow. Dead, like Maes Hughes, the family man.

Dead.

The word sank in, piercing his heart and shattering it to a million pieces.

Dead.

Roy Mustang was dead.

It wasn't possible.

"Do you remember that time when I gave a rose to you and told you that I loved you in front of them?" The memory brought a smile to his face, even though his eyes were filled with tears.

"I'm glad I did it. It's one of the few things I don't regret doing. I'll never regret falling in love with you, Roy. You taught me what happiness was like when my life had no more hope in it. You taught me how to live life to its fullest, and how to enjoy myself. For that, I thank you." He knelt down slowly, and placed the rose on the ground, a few inches away from the marker.

"I've come to say goodbye," he whispered. "I missed you, and I worked so hard to find a way to get back. I did it. But you aren't here anymore to celebrate my victory. We did say goodbye that time, for I guess neither of us imagined that it was goodbye for good. Well yeah, it was goodbye for good, but I still want to say goodbye once more. Maybe you can hear me, wherever you are." He paused, and his fingers reached out to touch the stone. "I hate you for making me cry," he berated, jokingly.

There was a long silence as the man clung on, not wanting to let go.

"Goodbye, Roy," he said softly at last, and his hand that had been tracing the letters on the marker dropped. He stood up, brushed the dirt off his knees, and walked away, leaving everything behind.

In time, the red rose withered away, but the blond's love for the man never did.

**The End**

**A/N: **To be honest, I don't think I've ever cried so much while writing a fanfic myself. The definition of the word 'rose' came from dictionary(dot)com. Please read & review!


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